Jayden’s knuckles rapped sharply against the double-sided mirror, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "Bring me the handcuffs."
I watched her, my gaze unwavering. She stood tall, her posture radiating confidence, her eyes burning with the certainty of victory.
But I could see the cracks—the way her fingers twitched at her sides, the way her breath hitched just a little too quickly. She thought she had me. She thought she was in control.
But I was done playing by her rules.
For the first time, I didn’t reach for my wallet or my connections. I didn’t call in favors or throw money at the problem. This time, I wanted to shatter her confidence. I wanted to show her what real power looked like.
Jayden’s glare bore into me, her silence a challenge. The seconds stretched, thick with anticipation. Then, the door creaked open. Two officers stepped inside, handcuffs glinting in their hands. Their boots thudded against the floor, their expressions blank, professional.
I didn’t move. I didn’t speak.
I just looked at them.
My eyes locked onto theirs, and I felt the familiar surge of Absolute Hypnosis coursing through me. The air in the room seemed to hum with it, a low, electric pulse that thrummed in my veins. "I am your Master," I said, my voice calm, commanding. "You are my slaves. My every order is your command."
The officers froze. Their faces slackened, their eyes glazing over with instant, unquestioning obedience. Without hesitation, they dropped to their knees, their heads bowing as if I were a god.
Jayden’s breath hitched. "What the—? John! Larry! What are you fools doing?!" she snapped, her voice sharp with disbelief. She took a step forward, her hand reaching for her sidearm, but it was too late.
I didn’t even glance at her. "Now," I said, my tone casual, almost bored, "please put those handcuffs on Mrs. Jayden and bind her to the chair."
The officers moved in unison, their movements mechanical, their faces devoid of emotion. Jayden’s eyes widened as they grabbed her wrists, the cold metal of the handcuffs clicking shut around them.
She struggled, her chair scraping against the floor as they forced her arms behind the backrest, securing her with brutal efficiency.
"STOP!" Jayden screamed, her voice raw with panic. "John! Larry! SNAP OUT OF IT! THAT’S AN ORDER!" Her chest heaved, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she yanked against the handcuffs, the metal biting into her wrists. "You’re making the biggest mistake of your lives!"
The door burst open. Four more officers stormed in, their guns drawn, their faces twisted in confusion. "John! Larry! What the fuck are you doing?!" one of them barked, rushing toward the two hypnotized officers. "Let go of Ma’am Jayden—NOW!"
But John and Larry didn’t react. They stood like statues, their grips unyielding, their expressions blank.
One of the officers lunged at me, his hand grabbing my shoulder, yanking me out of the chair. "You’re coming with us, now—"
I didn’t even stand.
I just looked at him.
My gaze locked onto his, and his body went rigid. His fingers twitched, his breath stuttering in his throat. "Kill those two policemen," I ordered, my voice barely above a whisper.
His eyes glazed over. He turned, his movements jerky, unnatural, as he drew his service pistol. The room erupted into chaos.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, MARTIN?!" one of the officers shouted, but it was too late.
Two gunshots rang out, sharp and deafening. The bullets found their marks—right between the eyes of the two officers who had tried to stop John and Larry. Their bodies crumpled to the floor, blood pooling beneath their heads, their lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling.
Jayden’s scream tore through the room. "NO! NO, NO, NO—WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" Her voice cracked, her body trembling violently against the handcuffs. Tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as she stared at the bodies, then at me, then back at the bodies. "You—you monster—you killed them! You made him kill them!"
I finally stood, brushing imaginary dust off my sleeves. The remaining officers stood frozen, their guns wavering between their fallen comrades and me. I could see the terror in their eyes, the realization dawning on them like a death sentence.
I turned to Jayden, my smile slow, deliberate. "You wanted to play, Officer," I said, my voice dripping with mock sympathy. "But you didn’t know the stakes."
She shook her head frantically, her breath coming in sobs. "This—this isn’t possible... You can’t—you can’t control people like this!" Her voice broke, her body convulsing as she pulled against the handcuffs, the metal digging into her skin. "Please... please, just stop this!"
I crouched in front of her, my finger tilting her chin up so she had no choice but to meet my gaze. "You wanted to break me, Officer," I murmured. "But you didn’t realize one thing."
Her lips trembled, her tears streaming freely. "W-what?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
I smiled. "I don’t break."
The last two officers backed up, their faces ashen. One of them raised his hands, his voice shaking. "Please—please, man, we don’t want any trouble—"
I didn’t even look at him. "Shoot them," I said to the officer under my control.
Jayden’s voice broke into a desperate wail. "NO! PLEASE, GOD, NO—STOP! I’LL DO ANYTHING! JUST STOP!" She thrashed in the chair, her screams filling the room as the gunshots echoed again.
Silence.
The room was a graveyard. Four bodies lay sprawled across the floor, blood seeping into the cracks of the linoleum. Jayden was hyperventilating, her body shaking so hard the chair rattled. The two officers under my command stood motionless, their guns still smoking.
I crouched in front of Jayden again, gripping her chin harder, forcing her to look at me. "You wanted to arrest me," I said, my voice a low, dangerous purr. "You wanted to interrogate me. You thought you were so clever, didn’t you?"
She sobbed, her entire body wracked with tears. "I—I didn’t know—" she choked out, her voice barely a whisper. "Please... I have a family—a daughter—please, just let me go—"
I tilted my head, my thumb brushing away a tear from her cheek. "A daughter?" I repeated, my voice mockingly gentle. "How old is she, Jayden?"
"Nineteen...." she stuttered, her breath hitching. "Please... I’m begging you... don’t hurt her—"
I stood, my expression cold. "Hurt her?" I said, my voice dripping with feigned offense. "Jayden, Jayden... I’m not a monster." I leaned down, my lips brushing her ear as I whispered, "But you’re going to wish I was when I’m done with you."
She let out a broken, desperate cry. "NO! PLEASE—" Her body convulsed, her screams raw and animalistic. "I’LL TELL EVERYTHING! JUST DON’T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER!"